A Shortened MLB Season Could Mean Stars Are Traded Before Teams Are Ready

There is no end – or start – in sight for Major League Baseball and how its season is being affected by the worldwide coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the season would be pushed back for a second time based on recommendations for limiting crowd gatherings by the Centers for Disease Control. This delay now appears to be indefinite, meaning nobody at this point has any idea when the season might start.

How that effects a restart of spring training, opening day, the postseason and everything in between is also up in the air. What is almost certain is that whenever the 2020 season finally begins, it will be a condensed schedule, because playing 162 games seems completely implausible at this point. But with the amount of money being lost by club owners, they will no doubt try to fit in as many games as possible.

“We’re not going to announce an alternate Opening Day at this point,” Manfred told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Monday. “We’re going to have to see how things develop. I think the commitment of the clubs is to play as many baseball games in 2020 as we can, consistent with the safety of our players and our fans.”

This also means the July 31 trade deadline also has to be rescheduled. With a condensed season, teams planning to have four months to determine their place in the postseason race will now likely have to make a call on their future – and the futures of some of the game’s biggest stars – with far less information. 

Here are some teams that could end up having to make rushed decisions because one hot or cold stretch could change long-term directions:

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs basically ghosted the offseason, and their biggest hot stove news – aside from parting with manager Joe Maddon – was winning the grievance case filed by third baseman Kris Bryant. It was a service-time issue, and had Bryant won, he would have been a free agent after this season. Because the Cubs won, they have two more seasons of control with Bryant, and that drastically changes his trade value.

“It puts us in a position in which we have to be very objective about what we have,” Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told Joel Sherman of the New York Post a couple weeks ago. “In the middle of this season, if we have a legit World Series contender, that is really meaningful. But if we don’t, you can’t be blind to the realities of the following 18 months.”

The statement was made before MLB knew it would have to push back the season. It’s possible now that fewer, or more, teams are in the mix to buy impact bats, which the Cubs have in Bryant, Kyle Schwarber and even Javier Baez. Nobody knows how other teams will react, but the shorter season will definitely play into how the Cubs view their chances at their next World Series run.

Cleveland Indians

Last week, the Indians and shortstop Francisco Lindor shutdown extension negotiations – an extension that could go anywhere from $100 million to $250 million depending on the length. 

The Indians shopped Lindor this winter, but the asking price was too high and interested teams looked elsewhere, like the Los Angeles Dodgers, who ended up trading for Mookie Betts. Part of the reason Lindor’s price was high is because he has two years of control like Bryant, and Cleveland believes it can contend in the American League Central.

But if the Indians get off to a slow start in a condensed season, they could be forced to shop Lindor at a lower price because his value drops every day after that determination – his stock was highest this offseason. Doing so might also lead to dealing other pieces from the roster since losing Lindor would likely send the organization into a low-level rebuild. 

Colorado Rockies

Third baseman Nolan Arenado still has seven seasons on a massive $260 million extension, but he said he feels “disrespected” by the Rockies and all signs point to him being traded soon.

If the Rockies tank early in a shortened season, and if Arenado agrees to opt-out of that contract after the 2021 season, the market for him should be huge and allow the Rockies to get a nice return. 

It seems inevitable Arenado and the Rockies part, so this might be the best-case scenario for both sides, putting Arenado on the open market at age 30 after the opt-out.

Oakland A’s

Marcus Semien finally had a massive breakout season and finished third in AL MVP voting in 2019. Perfect timing, because he will be a free agent after this season. He’s also open to an extension, but as of now, nothing has been worked out.

Semien’s future could change drastically, though, if the A’s fall behind the Houston Astros and maybe even the Los Angeles Angels in the AL West. 

If that happens, Semien is probably the most likely player on the roster to be dangled, especially if the A’s have little interest in signing him to a long-term deal. And another monster season by Semien would all but ensure the interest would be one-sided if he is seeking anything near market value.